Template:Featured Articles/24-2022

Moment of Awesome - Kevin Sydney/Changeling: Darcy Lewis tries to lecture Kevin on his apparent lack of personal safety when he comes in bloodied after a meet-up gone wrong. "Meet was scheduled." Kevin shrugged. "Slaughter wasn't, but that happens at times. Besides, Paolo was supposed to be solid. He's been providing info to us for years. Better question is why did he decide to flip now." "Was he desperate or calculated about it? My gut says the most likely options are bigger payout--and if it was calculated, that's what I'd lean towards--or something he saw as a bigger threat. If it was desperate, I'd almost bet money on a threat to a loved one. Maybe himself, but less likely." Darcy moved as she thought about the limited information he had. "He's got a kid in school, I think? So some surveillance photos of routine locations, something with less routine locations to imply they can get to the kid at any time... desperate parents are pretty dangerous." "Might be." He took a long drink before getting up from his chair and peeling off the bloody shirt. It was torn in several places and there were several slashes, suggesting not all the blood on it was from other people. "Shame. That was a new one." He tossed the jacket into the waste bin. Darcy stopped in the middle of the room, arms crossed over her chest as she gave him a stern look. "Of course he stabbed you and you didn't say anything. Of course. Fuck's sake, Boss. I know you heal, but you don't have to be ridiculous about it. You need a shower, and I need the rest of your bloody clothes so you stop tracking blood stains across the office." "Why would I? I appreciate the concern, Darcy, but powers, remember?" He said, stepping out of his ruined pants. He went over to his small on-suite and pulled a towel out to pass it under the water and start to clean up. "I didn't mean to freak you out with the blood, but remember, some things apply differently to me because of them." Darcy let out a sigh, leaning against the door frame as she watched him clean up. "I know you do, and after the initial shock of seeing you like that I deal, but..." she trailed off for a moment. When she continued, her voice was quietly serious. "I worry about your lack of regard for your own safety. Your powers, I know. Doing things you can heal from to spare those of us who can't. But I'm starting to wonder if you're doing it when it's the only option. The last resort. The actual best option. Or if it's becoming the easy option. Kevin can't die, he'll heal, he can take it." Her eyes were sharp as she pushed off the frame, taking a small step that had her standing just off-center of his back. "Is this your absolution? Some latent Catholic guilt eating at your brain?" "I haven't been a Catholic since before your grandparents were born." Kevin said as he wet the towel and began to clean up the patches Darcy hadn't seen. "I didn't walk into this meeting expecting a bloodbath. And I wasn't trying to martyr myself. But... this is tactical. The same reason that I deploy people towards certain situations is the reason I take others. Because we're in the best position to handle it. Sometimes, it gets a bit messy, but it is smart." Darcy laughed. "Gran would appreciate the compliment, but she's got a few years on you." The comment about deploying people toward certain situations made something ping in the back of her mind, but she shoved it further back. Not the time to split thoughts like that. She poked him lightly in the back, just over a long, shallow slash that was already healing. "I'll take your word for it, but I'm still going to worry. We're a team, I worry about my people." She gave him a small smile through the mirror. "Give that a rinse and hand it over once you're done with the front, you've got blood on your back." "Do I? Shit. That fucker." He followed her instructions, passing back over the cloth. "Got him with a broken bottle." Darcy traced a long line across his back, following with the cloth. "It's mostly healed up, very Zorro insult slash. You've got a trail of blood going all the way down your back, though. I'm pretty sure it looks worse than it was." She reached around him to wring the cloth out, letting it sit on the sink as she scrubbed her hands. "I know you weren't trying to martyr yourself tonight. We'd be having a very different conversation if you were. There would be emotions." "Relax. After all, just because it can't kill me doesn't mean it's any fun. Getting slit up hurts." He concentrated for a moment, clearing the last of any wounds. He grabbed a second towel and scrubbed himself dry quickly and started to pull on his shirt. "This is an operational risk for all of us, including you. So take this as a 'this is why we never get complacent in the field' lesson. A... what did Colbert call it? Teachable moment."